


Daybreak Comes Around

by pandorabox82



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-19
Updated: 2017-09-12
Packaged: 2018-02-05 08:18:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1811620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pandorabox82/pseuds/pandorabox82
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Erin makes a surprising offer to JJ when her marriage to Will ends. But will her offer of friendship and support turn into something more as the days go by?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Erin stared at the email in front of her. It was hard to comprehend the words that she had just read, and she felt an icy chill wrap around her body as she felt the first tears begin to flow down her cheeks. "After twenty years of friendship?" she whispered, finally turning her face away from the monitor.

"Chief Strauss, Agent Jareau is here to see you."

Looking up, she saw Helen standing in her doorway, a concerned look on her face. "Give me just one moment, okay?"

Her assistant nodded and stepped back into the outer office, closing the door behind her. Erin swallowed the large lump in her throat, trying to will away any more tears from falling. Clearing her throat, she turned back to her monitor and blindly clicked over to another tab. "Chief Strauss? I, I needed to see you about getting some time off from work."

Erin nodded a little, still trying to control her feelings. "How long do you need be away?" Her voice sounded thick and phlegmy, and she knew that the other woman would know something was the matter. And then she heard a sound that she hated so much – the soft tsking of someone who was pitying her. "Agent Jareau?"

"Hmm? Sorry. I need to take about two weeks off. Henry and I are moving out, and I need some time to pack."

With those soft words, Erin turned her head, staring at the woman. "I'm sorry?"

"Will and I are getting a divorce. I caught him cheating on me with the nanny." Erin's eyes widened in sympathy, and she had to check herself before she reached out to touch the younger woman. "What's upset you today, Ma'am?"

She shrugged, looking up to the ceiling. "Life."

"Ah, I know that full well. I wish I could find something closer to here, something I could afford on my salary. So far, it's been nothing but dead ends or places that want more than I make in a month." Sighing, she slumped back in the chair as Erin nodded absently.

"Have you asked one of your friends if you could room with them for a time? I'm certain that Ms. Garcia would love to have you and Henry in her home."

"She has a one bedroom apartment. Not very conducive to two extra people. And before you suggest it, there would be no way I would ever, ever, consider living with Blake. She's just, I don't know, so overbearing. The guys are out, too. So that leaves me renting a hotel room and putting all our stuff into storage for the time being."

"I have the room," she whispered lowly, quickly looking down at her desk, her fingers caressing the soft wood. "Alan got custody of our children, so there are a few empty bedrooms in the house. And I have a swing set in the yard still. I could never bear to have it taken out when they outgrew it."

Erin cursed herself for being so foolish, so impulsive, and she knew that the woman would reject her outright. After all, it was what everyone seemed to be doing these days. "Why?"

That was not what she had been expecting, and she looked up into Jennifer's eyes. "Why?"

"Yes, why? Why would you open your home to us? I know things have changed since the Replicator nearly killed you. I know you've been trying to be nicer. But why would you do this?"

It took a few moments for her to answer. "I'm lonely." This time, she didn't try to mask the tears in her eyes, the sorrow in her heart. "I just got word that a friend I had for twenty some years decided that I wasn't worth being friends with any longer. I need to make amends for the way I treated people here. There are so many reasons I could give you and each of them would be true. The most honest of them all is that I am lonely. And if you were willing to put Henry in the daycare here, I could take care of him while you're away. There would be no need to find a new nanny, and you wouldn't have to worry about me screwing the one you love."

The woman tilted her head as she looked at her, trying to assess her. "Well, there is that. And it would probably be for a few weeks at most." A tender smile spread across her face and she reached out for Erin's hand. "So, I guess this is the part where I tell you that you can call me Jen or JJ." Erin nodded and clasped her hand, trying to smile a little. "So, do I still get my time off?"

"Of course, you're going to need time to move after all. Oh, and I'll get you a key by the end of the work day. I can take a long lunch." Her mind was racing as she thought about bringing two people into her home, preparing her life for the hustle and bustle of a young child. "I have to stay late tonight, there's some paperwork that I need to catch up on. Would you want to stay and follow me home so that you know where to head, or just come over tomorrow?"

"Or I could get the address from you and make us all supper." Erin nodded. "It's settled, then. When you drop off the key, give me your address as well."

"All right. I'll see you in a few hours, then."

Jennifer nodded and left the room, closing the door behind her. Once she was gone, Erin buried her face in her hands, shaking her head. She had no idea what she was doing, why she had opened herself up to the intrusion of another person in her life. She had just become accustomed to being without her children, without Dave, even, and now she was going to have two people in her home, living with her, disrupting her routine. Did she really crave having someone to talk to that badly?

Helen knocked heavily at her door before stepping inside. "I have the budget for you to look over. A.D. Crawford would like you to get this finished by four, if possible. I know that you have a lot of work to do already, would you like me to go out and get you lunch today?"

She took the sheaf of papers from Helen's hands, setting them in front of her. "If you don't mind running an errand or two for me as well."

"I can do that, Erin."

Nodding, she pulled out her keys from her purse, slipping the house key off the ring. "I need you to make two copies of this key. And then I need you to negotiate a place for Agent Jareau's son in our daycare. She's going through a transition in her life, and needs a safe space for her son."

"Not a problem! I'll be back with lunch and errands accomplished in two shakes of a lamb's tail." Erin smiled at her assistant's enthusiasm, suddenly glad that she had chosen someone younger as her assistant. She really needed that energy she exuded, or so it seemed these days. "Oh, and I'll make sure that Agent Blake knows nothing about the extra key. She's still a little touchy these days."

"But she's getting better. It's going to be baby steps, Helen, but as long as we move forward, everything will be fine."

She nodded and turned to leave. Pausing, she turned back, smiling widely at her. "I knew you weren't dead. I knew you would come back to us. Thank you for proving me right." The young woman blushed deeply before rushing from the room, as if she were embarrassed at having revealed that to her. Erin just shook her head as she bent back over her paperwork, a wide smile on her face.


	2. Chapter 2

Erin sighed and pushed herself away from her desk. It had been a long day, and all she really wanted to do was curl up on her couch with a good book. Shaking her head a little, she stood up and grabbed her purse from the desk drawer, heading over to the door and flipping off the lights. Cracking her neck slightly, she smiled to see Helen was still plugging away at something, humming under her breath.

"You know, you don't have to wait for me to head home. You're free to leave at five."

"I know, but Deb is away on business this week, and the apartment is much too empty without her." Erin smiled and nodded, motioning with her head to the door. Helen nodded eagerly and got up, tugging her purse off the back of her chair and following Erin over to the elevators. "I bought a ring."

"I didn't realize it was quite that serious."

Helen blushed. "I've found that I miss her too much when she's away. And now that we can get married and get our benefits, why should we wait?"

"There is that." Her assistant nodded eagerly as they stepped into the elevator. "Did Agent Jareau say anything when you handed her the key?"

"Just that she'd see you at home tonight. Are you sure it's wise, inviting her into your home? I mean, she doesn't exactly have a good track record with you."

Erin smiled at how protective Helen was being towards her and she shook her head. "It will be fine. We've made a lot of headway in the last few months. I mean, she did invite me to her wedding, after all."

"I suppose that there is that. Just, I don't know, be careful?"

Erin nodded, trying not to laugh gently at the woman's concern. "I think I've learned to be careful over the past few years, Helen. Have a good evening," she said as she stepped out of the elevator and headed over to her car. It was so nice to have someone in her life that was still talking to her, even as she wished that things had stayed the way they were going before John Curtis had decided to throw a wrench in everything.

She saw that Jennifer had parked outside, and kicked herself for forgetting to get her an extra garage door opener. After she had parked, she left the garage open so that the woman could park her car inside. Heading in her home, she breathed in the delicious scent of baked salmon. A small shiver of pleasure travelled down her spine as she wondered how Jennifer had known that that was one of her favorite dishes.

"I'm home," she called out as she entered the kitchen, a wide smile gracing her lips as Henry looked up at her grinning. "Do you like my house?"

"I do, Miss Erin. Mom even said that I could play on the swing set after supper. And maybe, if we stay here long enough, I can get a puppy?" His eyes widened as he continued to look into her eyes, as if begging her to say yes.

Erin looked away to glance at Jennifer, watching her shake her head a little. "We'll have to see, Henry. After all, this is just a temporary situation. Your mom is going to find a new home for you to live in, and then you'll have to negotiate for your puppy."

He nodded a little before patting the seat next to him at the table. "I guess. You have to sit here, Miss Erin." She nodded as she took the seat he wanted for her. "Mom said that she was going to try a new recipe out tonight, that we were going to be guinea pigs. What does that mean?"

Erin couldn't keep from giggling at his question, and he frowned a little at her, folding his arms across his chest. "Sorry, I didn't mean to laugh at you, honey. A guinea pig is sometimes used to test out new things, like vaccines and drugs and cosmetics. When your mom called us guinea pigs, she was just saying that she was testing something out on us that we might not like. But it is always the thought that counts."

She met Jennifer's gaze, and saw her smile sweetly before turning back to the oven, pulling out her large baking pan. Erin went to get up and help when the younger woman shook her head. "I've got this, Erin. Don't worry."

Erin sat back down and nodded, watching as Jennifer plated up their food before setting the plates in front of them. Picking up her fork, Erin flaked off a small piece and placed it in her mouth. The flavor exploded on her tongue, and she tried to keep from groaning loudly at the taste. Instead, she dug in with relish, enjoying every bite.

Henry seemed to copy her motions, and Jennifer smiled at her occasionally as they ate quietly. Erin felt like she should try to make conversation, but nothing came to mind. Fifty years of quiet suppers had left their mark on her, unfortunately, and she sighed a little as she helped Jennifer clean up. "All right, Henry. Let's go outside and play while it's still daylight."

Erin picked up her water glass and followed Henry and Jennifer out to her back yard. As she took a seat on the swing on the deck, she marveled at how quickly they had acclimated themselves to her space. It felt odd to think that things could change that rapidly, and she desperately wished that she could adjust as quickly. Henry made a beeline for the slide and she smiled, remembering how her Bruce loved to slide as well. "He's so adorable," she sighed.

"Yeah, he is. He's the best thing that ever happened in my life. While I may hate Will right now, he helped to create someone so precious to me. I will always be grateful to him for that." The woman sank down on the swing next to Erin and used her foot to push them back and forth slowly. "Though this does free me up to start looking at other people. I hope that I can find someone a little more faithful this time."

"Isn't that what we always hope for? To find someone in our lives who will cleave only to us?" Her thoughts turned bitter as she looked inwards to the past infidelities of her husband. When she was drinking, it had been easier to overlook his stepping out on her. Now, though, she could ruminate on the course of her marriage and see that she should have cut her losses before he had cut ties with her.

"Where's your mind at, Erin?" Turning to face Jennifer, she took in the concerned look in her eyes before she acknowledged the feel of her hand on her upper arm. Shrugging a little, she tried to drag her gaze away from the deep sapphire of Jennifer's eyes, feeling a little like she was drowning in her gaze.

"I was just thinking about my ex-husband," she finally murmured, shivering a little. Jennifer nodded and she felt the insane desire to lean forward and kiss her. Gasping a little, she stood suddenly and wrapped her arms around her stomach. "It's been a long day, I'm going to head upstairs and read for a bit before I go to sleep. Feel free to pull your car into the garage, the extra opener is in the kitchen by my keys. Have a good night."

Before Jennifer could say anything, Erin turned and scurried into the house, shutting the screen door firmly before making her way up to her bedroom. Once she was safe behind closed doors, she sank onto her bed and buried her face in her hands. She had no idea why she was feeling so off kilter, why she was thinking about kissing Jennifer, but it unsettled her. Letting out a deep sigh of regret, she stood once more and made her way over to her armoire, pulling out a silk negligee.

As she stripped, she tried to think about something other than Jennifer, failing miserably. Shaking her head a little, she padded over to her full length mirror and stared critically at her reflection. Without her bra on, she noticed that her breasts were starting to sag a little. Her stomach was a little too rounded to be conventionally pretty. Her face was lined with the experience of decades. And there was no way someone fifteen years her junior would ever give her a second glance, even if she was bisexual.

It was something that she hadn't admitted to many people, the only one who knew was Alex Blake, and they weren't talking at the moment. Though it would figure that these feelings were bubbling up to the surface just when they were starting to figure out where their relationship was heading. Shaking her head, she slipped the negligee on and padded over to her bed, crawling beneath the covers and picking up her book and reading glasses.

Erin found it hard to concentrate on the words of Antonia Fraser, and she gave up after reading the same paragraph four times in a row and still not knowing what she was reading. Setting her things aside once more, she turned onto her stomach and closed her eyes, trying to drift off to sleep. It was a long time coming, though, as thoughts of Jennifer and Alex ran through her head, keeping her up long past when she wanted.


	3. Chapter 3

Erin made certain that she was out of the house the next day before Jennifer even got up. There was no way that she could deal with looking at her that morning, not after she had invaded her dreams all night. With a sigh, she pushed her hair out of her face, hoping that she could deal with it when she got into her office.

Sending up a quick prayer of thanks that it was open, she pulled into the line at Starbucks and mulled over what she should get. She knew that she needed a lot of caffeine to keep her halfway functioning the entire day, and she decided to get a venti white mocha with two shots of espresso.

By the time she made it into the office, Helen was already behind the desk, a pensive look on her face. "Hey, what's wrong? Did she turn you down?" Erin asked tiredly as she leaned against the edge of her assistant's desk.

Helen shrugged a little before shaking her head. "No, it's not that. I, well, there's a rumor going around the water cooler about the three of us. Gina must have seen me hand over the key to JJ yesterday, and she took off with some salacious idea and spread it out to everyone. They all think that we're in a threesome."

Tears glistened in Helen's eyes, and Erin reached out to rub her arm softly. The young woman looked away as the first tears tracked down her cheeks, and Erin sighed loudly. "Oh good, you're in. I need to talk to you."

Erin's head whipped around to see Alex standing there, frowning a little at what she was looking at. "What can I do for you, Alex?" she asked, trying to sound cool and pulled together, but thinking like she was failing.

"I've heard the latest rumor in the mill, Erin. And before it goes any further, I want to talk to you. I'm not going to let this snowball like last time." There was tender concern in her eyes, something that she hadn't seen in ages, and she gave the woman a small nod before escorting her into her office.

Erin thought about taking a seat behind her desk, but then decided against it, as she didn't want to alienate someone who was reaching out to her. "Whatever you've heard, it's not true, Alex. She has nowhere to go right now, and what with Will cheating on her, I had to open my house. It's so empty…"

"And lonely?" Erin nodded, cursing the fact that Alex knew her so well. "You were never one to be alone. I remember that well." Reaching out, Alex took hold of her hand, clasping it softly. "I remember so many things about you."

"You're sort of hard to forget as well, you know. But we were different people back then."

"Were we? Have we really changed all that much? You always seem to collect beautiful things around you." Alex reached out and brushed her hand against Erin's cheek, causing her to blush. "Sometimes, I wish I wasn't with James."

"But you are, and these new rumors could bring the old ones to the surface. I, I would never forgive myself if either of you were hurt because of me." The truth of her words shimmered in the air, and she looked away from Alex for fear of crying herself. "I've hurt too many people in my life to want to do that again now, when I'm making changes in my life."

Alex sighed as she stroked her cheek once more. "Life tends to run in a circle, Erin. It seems like this season is returning to you now. This time, I won't be so quick to abandon you. I shouldn't have last time, but I was so angry."

"You had every right to be angry, I left you out to dry." Erin met her gaze once more before leaning in and brushing her lips against Alex's cheek. "Please, would you try and dispel the rumors as best you can?"

"I will do my best, Erin." Alex turned her head so that she kissed Erin's lips tenderly, offering the comfort that came with true forgiveness. "And I'll probably send Hotch over in a little bit. He's quite good at figuring out how to take care of problems."

"Thank you," Erin whispered as Alex rose from her seat and left the room. She couldn't bear to look at her retreating form, there was something so final about the move, as if she would never see the woman in that capacity once more.

A watery laugh escaped her lips as she realized how melodramatic she was being, but she still couldn't shake the feeling that something was at play, something that would change everything in her life, and she wasn't certain that she was ready for yet another shift of fate. Standing, she paced back and forth in her office, fighting off the craving that was gnawing at her bones. A firm knocking at her door had Erin staring at it, her brain not making the connection between the sound and her need to answer. Finally, she opened her mouth and croaked out, "Come in."

Her door swung open slowly, and she felt anxiety stiffening her spine, trying to prepare for whoever entered. A low breath was sucked from her lungs when JJ entered, a tense smile on her lips. "Good morning. I came in as soon as I got the call from Hotch. He's working on some damage control with Gina as we speak, and then he'll be in to speak with you about what to do with the situation. I am so sorry that I've dragged you into something like this."

She closed the door behind her and drifted over to the sofa, sinking down onto it, keeping her gaze locked firmly on Erin. For some reason, she felt pulled over to her side, taking a seat on the far edge of the sofa and just waiting. That worked for all of thirty seconds before she opened her mouth once more. "Well?"

"I can find a hotel. It will be expensive, but it will keep both our noses out of scandal. I just didn't think that we would have to deal with junior high behavior from adults."

The very idea of losing JJ one day after cajoling her to live in her home sucker-punched Erin, and she turned her head so as not to show her tears to the woman. "You don't have to do that. My skin needs to be thickened."

JJ reached out and grabbed hold of her hand, squeezing tightly until Erin looked at her once more. The moment their eyes met, JJ released said hand and narrowed her gaze. "You don't have to do anything that you don't want, Erin. And if people want to spread scurrilous rumors and innuendo about us, let them. Fuck them. They don't know a thing about the truth. About fidelity and integrity."

The impassioned speech had Erin swallowing thickly as she nodded. "All right, so where do we go from here?"

"Henry and I stay at your home. We find our footing once more, and then I find a home and get out of your hair." A gentle smile crossed the younger woman's lips, and Erin felt something shift in her as she continued to stare into her eyes. "That is, if that's okay with you?"

Erin took a deep breath as she nodded. "All right, screw the rumor mongers. We will stand strong against them and prove that there's nothing to have a rumor about."

"That's the boss I was hoping to find this morning." Her stomach dropped at the sound of those words, and Erin weakly nodded, trying to not let JJ know just how much she was discombobulated at the moment. "Now, I have to get to the bullpen. I hope that we're just doing a consult, because I know that Henry is still a little unsettled. I'll see you at home?"

It took Erin a beat too long to respond, and JJ did notice the reticence, as she cocked her head to one side, giving her a secret little smile. "Yes, you will," she finally said, trying not to flush when JJ's smile widened before she whirled around and flitted from the room. As the door closed firmly, Erin went back over to her sofa and sank down on it, burying her head in her hands as she struggled to get control over her erratic heartbeat.

"Get a grip, Erin," she murmured to herself as she drew in a few deep breaths. A new, different, craving had reared its head, and this one she wasn't certain she could control. "She's not like you, she's completely on the straight and narrow. And there's no way that she could ever fathom being with you, not after the way you treated her. Face it, you're becoming delusional in your old age."

The savage sound in her voice startled her and she felt like maybe she could finally move on with her day, that she could push all thoughts of JJ's beautiful smile from her brain as she tried to focus on her work. All she had to do was keep herself focused on the files in front of her and everything would be okay.


	4. Chapter 4

"We're home!" JJ called out, and Erin tried not to grin stupidly to herself as she stirred the marinara sauce on the stove. "Erin?"

"I'm in the kitchen, finishing up supper," she called out. "Why don't you join me?"

She heard the pitter patter of little feet running towards her and knew that Henry would be gracing her with his presence in just a few moments. Erin braced herself for the wild embrace that he was certain to give her, knowing that at full speed, even his slight weight could knock her off balance. "Miss Erin!" he squealed out happily as he threw his body against her legs, his arms surrounding her like the tentacles of an octopus.

"Hello, Henry," she said lowly, bending down to hug him back, smiling gently when he transferred his embrace to her neck, allowing her to pick him up. "Did you have a good day?"

"The best!" He snuggled in close to her, and she smiled at the gesture, marveling that he was enamored of her so quickly. "What are you making?"

"Spaghetti. I thought that you might like that."

He nodded before fidgeting in her arms. Taking the hint, she set him down, watching him run off. "He's probably going out to the yard to play. I trust your neighborhood already, it feels really safe."

"That was one of the things that I specifically looked for when we were choosing a home here in Quantico. Alan was making enough money to afford us this place, and he was gracious enough to give it to me in the divorce."

JJ nodded as she made her way over to the counter, leaning against it as she looked at her. "Were you able to be amicable?"

"Yes. Sort of. Like I said, he got custody of the children, but that was because they chose to be with him. Alcohol never made me a good person, it just exaggerated my worst traits, some of which I was able to hide at work. Or so I thought." She gave JJ a pained smile before turning her face to look at the sauce pan. "So, I got the house, he got the home. And maybe he was right, maybe I was married to my job, but I had worked hard to get to the position of Section Chief."

"Do you see them very often?"

She glanced at JJ quickly, unable to keep her gaze there for very long as it hurt to be reminded of her failure as a mother. "Not as often as I'd like to see them. But they're almost grown, with lives of their own, and despite my almost dying at the hands of a madman, their lives haven't really changed to fit me in."

A soft hand touched her shoulder, spreading across her back, and she looked up at her to see barely restrained tears sparkling in JJ's eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's the choices I made that resulted in my life now. I can only try to make amends and move forward." She tried to smile, but felt like her lips were wobbling a little too much to have it mean much.

A soft sigh escaped JJ's lips, and Erin turned away from her, making certain that the sauce wasn't burning before she turned off the burner. "What else do you need me to do?" she asked as Erin pulled out a large pot to fill with water for the spaghetti.

"I think there's garlic bread in the freezer, at least, I hope there is, since the oven is already preheating."

JJ nodded and went over to the fridge, rummaging around in it until she pulled out the box Erin had thought was there before starting to go through her cupboards, looking for a baking sheet. Erin was content to let her go through them, since she had invited JJ into her home, after all. "I'm probably going to bring a few more things over tomorrow. There are some things that Henry has been missing, and I can't believe I forgot."

"Is Will okay with that?"

"Yeah. And we're already setting up visitation schedules. I mean, he may have cheated on me, but he really loves Henry, and I would never keep him away from our son." Erin nodded a little as she pulled out a wooden spoon for the noodles. "And I want to keep life as calm for Henry as I can, since he matters the most."

"You're very wise, Jen," she whispered, thinking about how much she missed her own children. Henry's presence was both a balm and a sadness, since he was everything she couldn't have any longer. "I wish that I had been that wise."

"We just made different choices."

She shrugged a little, watching the water intently, wishing that it would hurry and boil, so she could finish supper. A part of her was through with being open and vulnerable, since she had to regroup. "What was your favorite thing to do when you were a child?"

"I was always outside growing up, kicking around a soccer ball. Henry's definitely following in my footsteps, which sort of surprised me. I thought that he'd be more like Will, since he spent more time with him growing up."

"Children tend to emulate the parent they want more attention from. This isn't always the case, since my children all decided to make better life choices." She let out a self-deprecating laugh. "Though, in my case, I totally took after my mom and her self-destructive patterns. I just pray to God that none of my children show any hints of having an addictive personality."

JJ made a soft sound of agreement as she began to set the table. "I know that everything will work out in the end. Don't ask me why, I just know."

"That optimism will help you through life," she murmured as she stirred the noodles, thankful that they were softening finally. Setting the timer on the oven, she took a seat at the table, watching JJ follow suit. "I wish that I could find that level of positivity. It just seems like I'm being buffeted by waves that are intent on drowning me."

"You mentioned that you were lonely. Is that one of those waves?"

Erin nodded a little as she threaded her fingers together, resting them on her stomach. "It's hard to keep friends when you've changed so fundamentally. There are things that bind you together, and once that thing is gone, there's no reason to remain friends. I didn't realise how many friends I had that the only real bond between us was alcohol."

"Oh. I guess I never thought about that. You're most recent loss, why did you end that friendship?"

"I didn't, she did. Connie told me, via email mind you, that because I had been living a lie for so long, how could I ever be true to her?"

JJ's eyes narrowed a little as she studied Erin's face. "What did you lie to her about?"

Erin mentally kicked herself as she closed her eyes, trying to think of how to tell JJ the truth. Thankfully, the timer went off, and she popped to her feet, turning the burner off before grasping the pot handles and bringing it over to the sink. "If you want to get Henry, it's time to eat."

"I hope that you trust me enough, one day, to tell me the secrets of your heart," JJ said lowly as she passed by her, running her fingers along Erin's back as she made her way outside.

"I wish that I could trust you that much, Jennifer. I just have this feeling that you'll push me away when you realise that I'm not exactly straight," she whispered as she drained the water off the noodles before placing them in a large serving bowl. After setting it on the table, she grabbed the pan of sauce and poured it in another bowl.

The finishing touch was the garlic bread, and after she'd set down a trivet, Erin placed the baking sheet atop it, knowing that it had to cool before they could eat it. "Is milk all right for everyone?" JJ asked as Henry climbed up into the seat next to Erin's, gazing up at her adoringly.

"Yes, Mom," he replied as he reached out for a slice of the bread.

"That still needs a few minutes, Henry," she quickly replied, taking hold of his hand and drawing it back so that he wouldn't get burnt. JJ gave her an appreciative smile as she poured their drinks, and Erin had to quell the urge to grin back, instead just giving the woman a small smile as she poured the milk into each of their glasses, welcoming the warm pat of JJ's hand on her shoulder as she passed by, trying to reconcile the first flutterings in her stomach that told her perhaps she was feeling something more than friendship for the woman.


End file.
